Based on a systematic literature search and an expert survey, publications after 1990 on prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUD) in EU countries and Norway were reviewed. The search was restricted to studies using the DSM-IIIR or DSM-IV, or IC[...]

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Aims: It has been suggested that starting and temporarily discontinuing methadone treatment is related to an increased risk in overdose mortality. This study describes the incidence of overdose mortality in relation to time after (re[...]

Aims: To determine the prevalence of regular, potential problematic and pathological scratchcard gambling (PSG) 5 years after the introduction of scratchcards in the Netherlands.
Design and participants: A non-proportional stratified random sa[...]

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Background 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) is a popular recreational drug that has been shown to damage brain serotonin neurons in high doses. However, effects of moderate MDMA use on serotonin neurons have not be[...]

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Aims:
Previous studies have shown that abstinent heroin addicts exhibit an attentional bias to heroin-related stimuli. It has been suggested that attentional bias may represent a vulnerability to relapse into drug use. In the present[...]

In a Dutch longitudinal study on the dynamics of cannabis dependence, at baseline 600 frequent cannabis users (> = 3 days cannabis use per week in past 12 months) aged 18-30 years were interviewed. Nearly half of all participants (42%) met DSM-I[...]

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Aim: To describe the pulmonary function and prevalence of dyspnoea among methadone patients and to study the relation with exposure to heroin by inhaling. Study population: A sample of 100 patients from methadone maintenance treatmen[...]

Background and Aims: Increased delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations in cannabis may lead to higher THC exposure, cannabis dependence and treatment need, but users may also adapt the actual intake of THC through reduced inhalation of[...]

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Cue exposure therapy is seen as a potentially effective treatment for addictive disorders. Drug-dependent clients are repeatedly exposed to drug-related stimuli and prevented from using drugs in an attempt to reduce reactivity to the[...]

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Objective: The aim of this article is to examine whether standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (1) can be successfully implemented in a mixed population of borderline patients with or without comorbid substance abuse (SA), (2) [...]

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Background: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) is a popular recreational drug that has been shown to damage brain serotonin neurons in high doses. However, effects of moderate MDMA use on serotonin neurons have not b[...]

Previous studies have shown that drug abuse is associated with altered brain function. However, studies of heroin abuse-related brain dysfunctions are scarce. Electroencephalographic (EEG) power and coherence analyses are two important tools for[...]

One of the objectives of Amsterdam's methadone maintenance treatment is maximising its coverage among problematic opiate users. In order to evaluate what proportion is reached, the capturerecapture method is conducted to estimate the prevalence [...]

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Background: There is increasing interest in naltrexone, an opiate antagonist, in the treatment of opiate addicts. The effects of naltrexone are often compromised by a lack of compliance and drop-out. The effects of this compound are [...]

BACKGROUND: Supervised injectable heroin (SIH) treatment has emerged over the past 15 years as an intensive treatment for entrenched heroin users who have not responded to standard treatments such as oral methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) or[...]

An important aspect of understanding the dynamics of substance use in societies is to study how traditions, fashions and policy interventions impact upon substance use and related problems. Since large, well-controlled, long-term policy experime[...]

BACKGROUND: A recent decline in MDMA-like substances in ecstasy tablets has been reported by a number of countries in the European Union. This study describes the instability of the ecstasy market in The Netherlands during 2008 and 2009, and inv[...]

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In the present study, the factor structure, internal consistency, and the concurrent validity of two heroin craving questionnaires are examined. The Desires for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) measures three factors: desire and intention, n[...]

We would like to highlight the necessity of reflecting and possibly reconsidering the use of term 'legal highs' in the field of drug prevention and research, as it refers to two ambiguous and undefined characteristics of these products. [Extract]

Rationale: Most studies on the subjective effects of ecstasy are based on the assumption that the substance that was taken is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). However, many tablets sold as ecstasy contain other substances and MDMA in va[...]

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use is common in North America, especially among young people, and is associated with a risk of various acute and chronic adverse health outcomes. Cannabis control regimes are evolving, for example toward a national legaliza[...]

Aims: To compare the prevalence of mental disorders between frequent cannabis users with and without dependence and the general population.
Design: Cross-sectional comparison of interview data.
Setting: Enriched community sample of frequent ca[...]

RATIONALE: Neurotoxic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") on the serotonin (5-HT) system have been described in animals and humans, but little is known about long-term effects of ecstasy use on mood. OBJECTIVES: To inv[...]

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Objectives: Craving plays an important role in the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence and in relapse after periods of abstinence. Anti-craving compounds, such as acamprosate, naltrexone or serotonergic compounds, are f[...]

Many cannabis users 'mature out' of their drug use, and factors of cannabis use cessation have been identified. However, very little in-depth knowledge is available about the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Criminological studies have gai[...]